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Species: Lepophidium aporrhox, Dusky Cusk-eel

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body plain
gill arches and throat black
D 106-115; A 92-100
gill rakers: 3(2-5) upper, rudiments between lower

Lepophidium aporrhox Robins, 1961

Dusky Cusk-eel

Elongate, eel-like, tapering at rear to a point at tail; head low, compressed; snout with well developed, curved spine at front, no fringes under tip; eye large; mouth large, broad, nearly horizontal; teeth on jaws small, simple, in bands, outer ones larger; no tooth patch at lower front of gill arches; gill rakers – upper arm with 3 (2-5) rudiments, lower arm with 6-7 (5-7) developed rakers (with a rudiment between each of those) then 5-6 rudiments below, total 17-22 rakers; dorsal and anal fins low, confluent with tail; dorsal fin 106-115; anal fin 92-100; pectorals on midside, 21-23 (20-23); pelvics each of two small threads inserted under eye; scales round, small, in regular overlapping rows; head extensively covered with overlapping scales extending to between or before eyes, on cheeks and opercle; lateral line complete.

Yellow brown above, grading to white below; gill arches and gullet black; front of mouth pale; edges of dorsal and anal fins black.

Reaches 19.3 cm.

On soft bottoms.

Depth range: 46-186 m.

Honduras to Suriname, also in Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 19.3
Depth Range Min
  • 46
Depth Range Max
  • 186